More Than A Symbol
by Dcfan100
Summary: Wolverine never believed in symbols. To him there was only reality, and the war. However, during the final attack on Hydra's science base that all begins to change. Please read and review.


**Okay, now I know that there's going to be some continuity conflict with the comics in this story. But hey, with a new cartoon comes a new continuity so I tried to make this work. Anywho, please review and feel free to comment ;) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Captain America or the Howling Commando's…although I really want to.**

'_News from the front! As the HYDRA war machine expands its reach, one by one the nations of Europe fall under its shadow! None so far have withstood the onslaught. But Allied soldiers from across the globe stand together and as the world goes to war, we recount the tail of Steve Rogers the man who would become Captain America! Although young Rogers was too frail for combat, his fighting spirit wouldn't give up. He volunteered for a secret military experiment and with the help of the countries finest scientists, was transformed into the world's first super soldier! Now he fights alongside the allies as a symbol of freedom and liberty for all the world! Even now, Cap is leading the charge against the dreaded Red Skull and his HYDRA forces. Good luck Captain America, wherever you are!' _

Whatever. Captain America, super soldier and champion of the allies, huh. Yeah, that's great for the papers, the war effort and lining Uncle Sam's pockets and all but it's no substitute for the real thing. Symbols don't win wars, men win wars. My squad, the Howling Commando's, got the assignment to take out Hydra's science base. The Howling Commando's, a squad of about eight men takin the fight right to the Red Skull. It was one of the Allies big stories that got printed in all the papers that Captain America and the Red Skull were arch enemies and had faced each other dozens of times in combat. Yeah, right, back to reality. The boys down at the Allies HQ told us, we'd be going up against twenty to one odds. Huh, well I guess they're smart enough to send there best, and we are the best at what we do. We're the real deal; we're the ones on the front lines risking our necks to take down HYDRA. Where's your poster boy scout for the recruitment office now?

We're all silent as the boat silently approaches the shore in the torrential rain. Ugh, all it seems to do over here is rain. I know that the more I think about it and the more I'll remember what kinds of odds we're goin up against. I know that this mission is almost suicidal. Good thing I don't bother to think about it. None of us do, we just take our mission and succeeded or die trying. There's a grim atmosphere as we approach the shore, even Ralston, who in any other situation would be talking our ears off is quiet.

The boat goes as far as it could before opening its gate. Silently and quickly we exit the craft and wade through the water before halting about twenty feet from the shore. Ralston takes out his binoculars and starts scouting the area. He nods to Jake who motions us forward. Stealthily we creep through the graveyard outside the fortress, a graveyard, this just keeps getting better and better doesn't it? Jake goes first as he always does, first in the attack, the last in the retreat, as he always says. He holds up his hand and we all stop dead in our tracks. I sniff the air and pick up a faint scent. Damn this rain, I can't tell exactly who or what is there. Suddenly, the wind shifts, just slightly and only for a very brief moment but I pick up his scent immediately and we all hear the loading of a machine gun. A HYDRA lackey hiding behind on of the gravestones! I'm open my mouth to warn Jake but I'm cut off by a bright light soaring into the air. A rocket.

"Howling Commando's move!" No duh Jake. We all dive for cover quickly taking refuge behind the many graves and readying our guns as the rocket tears apart a large chunk of the yard. The HYDRA trooper opens fire pinning us down. Bullets rip through the air, reducing the more elaborately designed graves to small rocks while nearly drowning out the sounds of rain and lighting. Dino pops out from behind his cover and fires off a round before quickly dropping back down as a stream of bullets blasts the area where he'd been about half a second before. Dino continues to act oblivious to the situation around him, popping the bubble he just blew and continuing to chew his gum. Man that guy ticks me off.

"We're sitting ducks out here!" Jake yells over the roar of the bullets. Again Jake…duh. "Howlett! I need recon". Basically meaning, take the guy out.

"I'm workin on it bub!" I growl back holding my helmet against my head as the bullets fly through the air. As I try to think of the best way to get behind this guy the noises of the gun suddenly stop and the sound of the wind and rain once again fill our ears. His gun must have jammed. Jake and Dum Dum ready themselves preparing to unleash a volley of there own. Suddenly, I smell another presence on the battlefield. "There's someone behind…" I'm cut off by a whizzing sound in the air as a circular disk flies through the across the field and into an area of the graveyard. I hear a sound like a knife cutting through paper. The front half of what used to be a machine guns falls out from behind a gravestone along with an explosion and the circular disk flies back through the air only to be single handedly caught by a large figure. We all turn around and can only make out his shadow.

"This is the end of the line boys" he says in a bold strong voice as the storm starts to break and a faint ray of the full moon shines on him. We all look on in awe. He took out a heavily armed HYDRA trooper at about twice the range we were at with nothing but a metal shield? Who, the heck is this guy? The moon light continues to shine on him as the storm passes revealing a red white and blue shield and similarly colored costume. Captain America? We all start to stand up and leave our cover, a stupid thing to do on a still hostile battlefield, but this guy, the confident and proud manner he holds himself with…right now I feel like I could take on the entire HYDRA war machine with him watching my back.

"Our job is to take down HYDRA's science base! And we've already got a man on the inside to get us in!" he says standing fully at attention with a far off yet determined look in his eye.

"Now! Let's go show the Red Skull that his day is over!" You can see it by the expression on his face and by the way he raises his shield in the air. He's got a bone to pick with the Red Skull, he's more determined as any of us to end this war. So all those tales, all those stories about Captain America leading the charge were true? What else could we do, we lifted our guns up in the air and gave a battle cry! I look over at the other commando's, Dum Dum, Jake, Dino, Rebel, Pinky, Gabe and the others, they're pumped for this and so am I. I can't help it, I break a grin and cheer twice as loudly as Cap gives a quick salute leading the charge and taking first position as we head of towards HYDRA's science base.

So I'll admit it, I was wrong about Captain America. Yeah sure he's still the poster boy for the recruitment office. He's still a symbol and champion for peace and freedom, but he's not just a symbol. He's a soldier, he's one of us, he'll do anything to end this war and destroy HYDRA. I know that with this guy out there, the Red Skulls day of reckoning is near. But don't let it go to your head Cap, I still say you're a goody two shoes boy scout, even if you are one heck of a fighter.

**Please review! **


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